TAMPA — DJ LeMahieu worked alongside Anthony Volpe while the two were part of a group that was at the team’s player development complex throughout much of the offseason and has been impressed by what he’s seen.
“He’s definitely a big-leaguer,” LeMahieu said Tuesday. “You can tell he really wants it and loves to play. Talent-wise, the talent is there.”
And it’s left LeMahieu curious to see what Volpe is capable of.
“It’s his first big-league spring [training] and you never know how a guy is gonna look,” LeMahieu said. “He’s been on it the whole time. I’m excited to play with him at some point, whenever that is.”
LeMahieu smiled as he said it, since, like everyone else, he’s waiting to see how the Yankees’ shortstop battle involving Volpe and Oswald Peraza plays out.
Volpe started there again and ripped a double in Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the Tigers at Steinbrenner Field.
Still, not everyone is convinced Volpe will stick at short, including one American League scout who has watched Volpe since the first-round pick entered the minors.
The scout believes Volpe is destined to be a second baseman and likened the 21-year-old to a retired Red Sox who thrived at the position.
“He’s always reminded me of Dustin Pedroia,” the scout said. “He’s on the small side, like Dustin, yet he hits everything with authority. And he plays the game like he’s on fire, which [Pedroia] did, too.”
Told of the comparison, Volpe said: “I hadn’t heard that, but I definitely try to play that way. It’s very humbling to hear that comparison, because that’s how I’ve always played: hard. And I know that’s what Pedroia was known for.”
Growing up rooting for the Yankees in Watchung, N.J. — located about 40 miles southwest of Yankee Stadium — Volpe was not a fan of Pedroia, but he added a caveat.
“I definitely paid attention to him,” Volpe said. “I didn’t like him because of the team he played on, but I loved the kind of player he was and how he put on laser shows [at the plate].He was fun to watch.”
Pedroia played 14 years for Boston before an injured left knee forced him to retire in 2019.
“He was the kind of player you hated to see on the other team, but you would love to have on your team,” Volpe said.
Listed at 5-foott-9 and 170 pounds during his playing days, Pedroia was even smaller than the 5-11, 180-pound Volpe.
“I didn’t root for, or even like, him, but I respected him,” Volpe said. “As an undersized guy who always barreled up balls, he was the kind of player someone like me would want to emulate.”
Pedroia had just turned 23 when he made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in August 2006 and stayed in the majors for good, winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2007.
The Yankees have raved about Volpe’s game, work ethic and competitiveness since drafting him in the first round (30th overall) in the 2019 amateur draft out of the Delbarton School.
Whether he’s destined to lead the majors in hits and doubles, as Pedroia did in 2008, or collect over 1,800 hits, is another matter.
“It’s hard to compare anyone to Pedroia,” LeMahieu said. “I don’t know if that’s fair. But I know [Volpe] is a really talented player that’s only gonna get better.”